Lighting fixture



' 0171.7, 1958 w. H. JOHNSON LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Nov. 15, 1956 William H. Jhhwn 4 INVENTOR.

United States Patent LIGHTING FIXTURE William H. Johnson, Levittown, Pa.

Application November 13, 1956, Serial No. 621,637

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-73) This invention relates to danger signal lighting fixtures for attachment to motor vehicle doors to be automatically lighted by the opening of the door to warn drivers of vehicles, especially those approaching from the rear.

Previous signal devices of the character referred to have required special door construction or the forming of holes or openings in the walls of the door, which not only renders the installation of the device on standard cars expensive but also leaves the door in a marred condition in the event that another type of lighting fixture is substituted for the fixture on the car.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a danger signal light and fixture of simple, eflicient and inexpensive construction which can be easily installed on the doors of standard motor vehicles without damage to the door, and with the aid of only a screw-driver.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal light and fixture of the character mentioned in which the light bulb can easily and quickly be replaced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal light and fixture of the character mentioned comprising a base member on which an electric light bulb is mounted and is provided with convenient means for clamping it to the edge of a motor vehicle door in correct functioning position, and an ornamental canopy provided with convenient means for removably attaching it to the base member, and having a lens mounted in its end for axial alignment in front of the light bulb when the two members are in assembled relation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for connecting a light flasher device with the bulb in the fixture referred to.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which i Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of the rear edge of a motor vehicle door and the adjacent edge of the door opening, and showing one form of my improved signal light and fixture attached to the door;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the two members of the light and fixture illustrated in Fig. 1 in disassembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the two members illustrated in Fig. 2 in assembled relation; Fig. 4 is an end view of the fixture illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the numeral designates a motor vehicle door comprising a vertical wall portion 12 and a transverse portion 14 set back from its edge forming a vertically disposed flange 16. The adjacent portion of the vehicle body consists of a vertical wall 18 which is inset at 20 to provide a seat for a resilient bumper 22 and this wall is extended at vertical and horizontal angles to form the enclosed portion 24 of the body wall. The door is provided at its rear edge with the usual hinge and an electrical switch connected in the electric signal light circuit (not shown).

The form of my improved signal light and fixture shown in Figs. 1 to 4 includes a substantially flat base member 26 which is tapered toward its rear end, as viewed in plan, and is adapted to lie closely against the outer surface of the wall 12 when in installed relation. The rear end of the base member 26 terminates inan upwardly return bent flange 28 inclining at an acute angle from the rear end of the member and provided with a screwthreaded opening 30. The front end of the member 26 terminates in a downwardly return bent clamping flange 32 in substantially parallel relation with the .base member 26 and the wall 18, and providing a space between the flange and base member exceeding the thickness of the flange 16 of the door. The member 26 is also provided at its front edge with an opening 34 providing a passage between the member 26 and the flange 32 of suflicient width to permit an electrical conductor to slide.

freely therethrough. A pair of spaced set screws 36 is mounted in the clamping flange 32, the ends of the screws being adapted to bear against the inner wall of the door flange 16. The member 26 is also provided with holes 38 for a purpose later explained. A bracket 40 is mounted on the outer side of the base member 26 and an electric light bulb socket 42 is attached to this bracket An electric light bulb 44 may either be screwthreaded'into this socket as shown in Fig. l, or attached by means of a bayonet slot (not shown) or by any other suitable means. An electrical wire or conductor 46 is connected to the rear end of the bulb 44 and this conductor extends through the opening 34, between the set screws 36 and along the side of the vertical wall 14, being fixed thereto by means of adhesive strips 48, or other suitable means, and extends on to the battery of the car or other source of electrical current (not shown). A flat spring finger 50 having an upstanding portion merging into a forwardly projecting portion 52 also is mounted on the base member 26 for a purpose to be explained. A flasher switch device 45 may be inserted in the socket 42 back of the bulb 44, as shown.

A canopy 54 having opposed walls 56 formed to fit over the edges of the base member 26 has mounted in its front end a lens 58 arranged to be in axial alignment with and in front of the bulb 44 when the canopy is assembled over the base member. The front end of the canopy is of concave formation at its top to support the convex lens 58, and is provided at its open side with an end plate 60 which also has a concave portion matching the upper concave portion, so that the lens is thereby supported around its entire edge. A resilient washer 62 may be mounted between the inner edge of the lens and a supporting ring 64 soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the inner wall of the canopy 54, the ring and the washer forming a fixed flange inside the canopy against which the lens is rigidly secured. A notch 66 may be formed in the outer edge of the plate 60 to perspring until the screw 70 can be inserted in the opening 30. It should be understood that when the lens first abuts the end of the finger portion 52 the screw openings 30 and 68 will be slightly out of registering rela' tion. The spring finger portion 52 by engaging the lens immediately inside'the supporting ring 64 holds the front end of the canopy on the base member 26. The canopy may be easily disassembled from the base member upon removal of the screw 70, for example, to replace the bulb 44, or the flasher device 45, or to repair the wir-' ing. If desired, self threading screws may be inserted through the openings 38 into the door wall.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 difiers from'that just described in that the base and canopy members are combined into an integral fixture 72 in which a lens 74 may be inserted into the end of the fixture by screw-threading or other suitable means to facilitate' replacement of the bulb 44, and the spring member 50 is not required in this form. A passage 76 is provided in the fixture 72 to permit free movement therethrough of the conductor 46. Otherwise this structure is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

i It will be seen that either form of fixture illustrated may be purchased by a car owner from a dealer in completely assembled condition and installed on a car door by simply placing the clamping portion 32 over the edge of the door, tightening the screws 36 and connecting the electric conductor to the proper source of electric current.

' Obviously, various changes or modifications of the device may be made within the spirit and scope of my 4 a flat, elongated base member having means for attaching it to a wall and a light bulb socket mounted thereon, and also including a canopy having opposed walls adapted to fit slidably over the longitudinal edges of said base member and having a screw opening in its top rear portion, said canopy also having a lens in axial alignment with said bulb socket fixedly mounted in its front end and a supporting ring for the back of said lens rigidly secured to the inner walls of said canopy; means for removably attaching said canopy to said base member comprising, in combination, a spring finger mounted on said 'base, said finger having an upstanding portion merging into a forwardly projecting end portion adapted for abutting engagement with the rear face of said lens immediately inside said supporting ring, an integral flange overlapping, but spaced from, the rear end portion of said base member, said flange having therein a screw hole normally disposed slightly rearwardly of the screw hole in said canopy when said spring finger first abuts said lens, said screw openings being adapted to be brought into registering relation by forcible retraction of said spring finger through rearward movement of said canopy and lens; and a screw adapted for insertion through said screw openings when in registry with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,274 Hawthorne Feb. 6, 1917 1,877,792 Bell Sept. 20, 1932 1,927,319 Michel et al Sept. 19, 1933 2,589,747 Tedeschi Mar. 18, 1952 2,677,752 Kaiser May 4, 1954 

